A Marine Turned Assassin {NCIS}

Chaper 9: Number Twenty Three

23rd December 2015
Azalea

I woke up with gasping, not knowing where I was, before crashing back down from the adrenaline of the nightmare and finding myself in a camp bed in the middle of a war zone.

Knowing that I was awake and sleep was a distant hope, I got changed and headed to the canteen to grab some coffee, 'cause if I'm gonna start my day at 0300 I need to be prepared.

As I walked in I was shocked to find Khalil already in the mess, "hey, Khal." I muttered, taking the seat next to him. "Your up early." He nodded "things have been a bit rocky between Xavier and I, so I decided to hash it out with him, I think we're good now." I nodded, staring into the crappy coffee.

"What about you?" He asked.

"What about me?" I repeated.

It was replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing." I said "couldn't sleep."

"I call BS." He argued "you couldn't sleep because of the nightmares."

I sent him a pointed look "you've been my partner for too long, Khal, ya know that?"

He laughed, "yeah, and you're gonna need another one of those watered-down cups of crap before you start your day."

"I was thinking of raising it to three today."

"How many hours this week?"

"Not this again, Khalil."

"How many."

"11 hours and 49 minutes."

"Jesus Az, I honestly don't see how your functioning on 1 hour and 40 minutes and participating in the day-to-day routine."

"Caffeine works wonders." I stated dryly.

Khal shook his head, a look of defeat on his face, as he stared at his own cup.

This is a common squabble we have, Khal starts shit over the amount of sleep I get a week, I nod along at the appropriate places, pretend that I'll do better next time and have some more coffee.

"What time we heading out?" Khalil muttered, still pissed, I sent him a look, "0430, don't be like that Khal." I protested, he shrugged "I just don't like seeing you do this to yourself." I rolled my eyes "it's not your fault, if anything it's my own, I was naive enough to let him do that." He looked as if he was going to argue "please Khal." I sighed, Khalil nodded and handed me another coffee. "Okay, Az." Khal muttered "if your not gonna sleep, I am, I'll see you about 0400." He patted my shoulder comfortingly "only 8 days to go, Gibbs."

I finished my coffee and fixed myself another to take back to my tent. Upon arrival, I flicked on the light, a dull glow so it doesn't disturb anyone else's sleep, and grabbed a piece of paper, I had sent Dad a letter a few days ago when I was out on overwatch, just a brief catch up and the date in which my deployment ended, but I didn't have time to write one for Dex, I quickly scrawled the letter number- letter 23- before writing.

To Dex and Keon.
I don't know where you are, if your stateside or in the middle of a war zone, but I hope you are safe, these last couple of weeks seem to stretch on for ever, the operation I was part of an attack force in was pulled after an ambush, that all it seems to be here, ambushes on top of ambushes, everywhere we turn the enemy seems to be there. I just wish I was back home again and with everyone- especially you- walking through the forest or holed up in that spa hotel like before. I miss that, I guess I miss you.

I know that by the time you get this letter I'll be home, so just go straight to my dads, and I'll see you there.

Love, Az.